US embassy cable - 05TAIPEI2039

C O N F I D E N T I A L TAIPEI 002039 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/RSC/TC, EAP/EP, AND NP/NE ALEX BURKART 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/04/2015 
TAGS: KNNP, KSTC, PARM, ETTC, EAID, ETRD, ECIN 
SUBJECT: SEEKING SUPPORT FOR U.S. APEC RADIOACTIVE SOURCES 
INITIATIVE: CHINESE TAIPEI RESPONDS 
 
REF: SECSTATE 79844 
 
Classified By: Acting Deputy Director Charles Bennett, 
reason 1.4 (d) 
 
1.  (U) This is an action request.  Please see paragraph 6. 
 
2.  (C) AIT Econoff met May 4, 2005 with Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs (MOFA), APEC Task Force Chief Lisa Li-hsin Chuang to 
deliver reftel demarche requesting that Chinese-Taipei 
support the U.S. radioactive sources initiative at the Senior 
Officials Meeting in Korea in May.  Chuang noted that Taiwan 
is not a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency 
(IAEA) but has cooperated with it in the past on atomic 
energy safety issues. 
 
3.  (C) Chinese-Taipei has fully supported U.S. 
counter-terrorism initiatives in APEC since 2003 and is 
pleased that human security will be included in the APEC 
agenda in 2005.  Chinese-Taipei continues to support the 
broadening of APEC's agenda to include topics of regional 
economic concern.  Taiwan believes it already meets IAEA 
guidelines on trade in radioactive substances and the 
requirements of the IAEA Code of Conduct on Safety and 
Security of Radioactive Substances.  However, given Taiwan's 
lack of IAEA membership, it will be difficult for Taiwan to 
officially announce that it intends to implement either the 
IAEA Code of Conduct or the Guidance on Import and Export of 
Radioactive Substances, said Chuang. 
 
4.  (C) Chuang noted that given the concern from the People's 
Republic of China (PRC) and some other APEC members about 
Chinese-Taipei's participation in security related 
discussions, Chinese-Taipei leaders were reluctant to 
publicly announce support for the U.S. Initiative.  She 
emphasized that Chinese-Taipei's reticence was not based in a 
lack of support for the initiative, but rather was evidence 
of Chinese-Taipei's awareness of the views of other APEC 
members.  Chuang said Chinese-Taipei would join in consensus 
support for the initiative, but would only publicly announce 
support for the initiative if the U.S. believed it was 
prudent to do so. 
 
5.  (C) Responsibility for atomic energy issues rests with 
Taiwan's Atomic Energy Council (AEC).  Chuang confirmed that 
MOFA had not raised the issue of whether Chinese-Taipei could 
support the U.S. initiative with the AEC nor had the Ministry 
of Economic Affairs, Energy Commission been approached about 
this issue.  If an announcement of support for the initiative 
was forthcoming, Chinese-Taipei's Senior Official, John Chen, 
would first need to consult with relevant agencies in Taiwan. 
 
6.  (C) Action Request: Please confirm that the U.S. would 
prefer that Chinese-Taipei NOT/NOT publicly announce support 
for the U.S. initiative on radioactive substances at the May 
SOM in Korea. 
PAAL